Laurence White

The nation is in crisis, and government is inadequate to do much about it, Gov. Rick Perry warns.

Perry plans to elicit that divine assistance during a day of prayer, fasting and pleas for forgiveness in the company of several thousand like-minded souls at Reliant Stadium next Saturday. But as he continues to mull a run for the White House, where do his religiosity and his politics intersect?

With Mike Huckabee out of the 2012 presidential race and Newt Gingrich working on a downsized campaign, Rick Perry — who has yet to declare candidacy — has become the the default pick of leading religious conservatives.

The names backing Perry shouldn’t be a surprise. Nearly all of these leaders have partnered with him before in campaigns, worship gatherings and other events.